Automatic Fertilizer Machines

Yes, this is what they are, and their names are Alice and Maxie.
One of my readers remembered that last year I was giving away Monticello Fig cuttings to anyone who was interested. Well they contacted me and offered me these adorable things in exchange for a few cuttings!
How cool is that?

Serendipitously, Billy and I were at a Craig's List appointment picking up some furniture when our hosts sister said she loved Craigs list so much that she was going to try and sell her daughters hutch on it, because the kids couldn't stand looking at it anymore without crying. Knowing of my impending delivery I told her I in fact needed one and she hardley able to believe her good fortune nor mine for that matter came to an extremely fair agreement on price and we were able to bring it home with us that very day!

My daughter is in love, Gunner the Beagle is beside himself. He actually jumps into the cage and licks them all over, and now I have an automatic composting/fertilizer machine that happens to have a very cute house.

I love life, and the seredipity of it all!

Thank you to my new Parksley friend!

The Garden is IN!!!

And the Angels rejoice and soooo do I!

Finally, after one set back after another, we now have a garden.
I'm sorry I haven't posted pictures and updates sooner, but I have been working my butt off trying to get not only the garden done, but get my house painted as well.

We finally did the last tilling of the garden last weekend and I have spent the week planting and transplanting from a nursery bed that I started most of the plants in.

We successfully transplanted all of those yesterday and today, and we also got the watermelons and beans in the ground too!

While we were waiting for the ground to dry out enough to till last week, we installed a gate around the garden to keep kid, kritters, and karacters out.
My daughter painted a sign expressing our wishes, and it seems to rather effective. As foot traffic has decreased substantially.

Donna, I hope we did everything right. I can't wait to eat some beans! We planted the limas and both types of green beans and the kidneys.

Tomorrow, or Tuesday I am hoping that my baby Bell Pepper plants are big enough to go out into the big garden so I can have the pepper bed filled.

Thanks to all who have participated in tilling, hoeing, listening, and advising. I couldn't have done it with out you!

Let's pray for a healthy garden this summer, and a wonderful bounty to can for the winter.

It's Raining, It's Pouring and Still Not Finished Tilling

Himself went fishing yesterday in the warm sunny weather, and told me that he would be available today to till the garden....

Beggars can't be choosers.

I did get some seeds planted in the nursery bed, and I did get some work done on the fence. I don't want to finish the fence until I get the bed tilled so that Himself can have room to turn around with the tiller.

Donna has been so kind as to reassure me that 'late' is better than never, and I can spend this untilled time adding to the soil to enrich it more.

I have have bag of horse poo from last year that I added water to under the instruction of my Grandfather who calls it 'Stinky Juice'. I found it yesterday behind a bush where I had tucked it last year to fester, and promtly forgot about.

This should be a wonderful addition to the soil! I also emptied all of my pots from last years annuals into the garden soil.
Donna, has stated that she uses straw, which adds loft to the dirt. I am going to ask my equestrian friends if I can come clean the stables one day and get some.

In the mean time I will relax and know that the garden will be tilled in good time, and I will find something else to obsess about.

Tilling Concrete

Yes, that is what it felt like Himself and I were doing on Saturday afternoon.
I knew the area had never been tilled, but what I failed to remember was for years the man who used to own the house had parked his cars, trucks and boats in the same area, and it was packed as hard as concrete.
Himself took four passes across it just to cut the sod off of the top.
He then asked if I had a 'pick ax'. I have 3. So to work we went.
We busted up each end of the garden with the pick axes, then he started the tiller again, this time since the tiller was already deep in the dirt it was easier for it to continue cutting into the dirt at the deeper level.
Every time he stopped to rest I handed him a beer (which the next day he informed me that during those breaks he would happilly accept a gatorade) so he wouldn't get dehydrated.
I also wanted to keep him happy cause I knew this wasn't turning out to be a whole lotta fun.
A job that I thought would take anywhere from 20 to 45 minutes ended up taking 6 hours!
We ran the tiller out of gas 3 times and on the last time we were done.
But there is still more to do.
I am particulary happy that it is raining as it is going places that it hasn't been in a long time and thus softening the dirt.
The dirt that feels like concrete, is once tilled, beautiful rich dark almost black dirt, and I am excited for the next clear day that Himself will come till it the final time.
I currently have plants waiting in nursery beds to be placed in the big plot, and I just can't wait.
Thank you to good neighbors with cool toys, that can be used to create so much.
I found out that Himselfs favorite vegetable is peppers....all kinds, and you better believe this man will have peppers coming out of his ears this summer.

HERSHEY'S "PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE" CHOCOLATE CAKE

Here is yet another delectable delight from Dorsey's kitchen!

HERSHEY'S "PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE" CHOCOLATE CAKE
2 cups sugar
1 ¾ cups flour
¾ cup Cocoa
1 ½ t. baking powder
1 ½ t. baking soda
1 t. salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
½ cup vegetable oil
2 t. vanilla
1 cup boiling water
1 cup Hershey's Chocolate Mini-morsals

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour three 9-inch round baking pans.
2. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans. This is where I add 1/3 cup of mini-morsals to each pan
3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely! Frost your cake! 10 to 12 servings.

Variations:
1. ONE-PAN CAKE: Grease and flour 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Heat oven to 350° F. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 35 to 40 minutes. Cool completely. Frost.
2. THREE LAYER CAKE: Grease and flour three 9-inch round baking pans. Heat oven to 350°F. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake 30 to 35 minutes. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost.
3. BUNDT CAKE: Grease and flour 12-cup Bundt pan. Heat oven to 350°F. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 50 to 55 minutes. Cool 15 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack. Cool completely. Frost.
4. CUPCAKES: Line muffin cups (2-1/2 inches in diameter) with paper bake cups. Heat oven to 350°F. Fill cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake 22 to 25 minutes. Cool completely. Frost. About 30 cupcakes.

"PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE" CHOCOLATE FROSTING
2 sticks butter
1 1/3 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
1 box powdered sugar
2/3 cup milk
2 t. vanilla
Fresh Strawberries for garnish

Directions:
Melt butter. Stir in cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency. Add small amount additional milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla. About 2 cups frosting. I also like to garnish this cake with fresh strawberries on the top and around the sides of the cake.